I finished listening to your deate with James White on the deuteros a few weeks ago and have a question for you.

At one point, you and James were discussing whether or not the canon listed at Trent matched identically with the canon listed by some earlier councils such as maybe Rome and Carthage.

I think you admitted that there was a slight difference and if I remember right you said Trent passed over some part of the canon listed in the earlier councils in slience. I haven't taken the time to research this but was curious if you could take a few minutes to explain what you two were talking about.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Sure, I would be glad to. James took an argument that William Webster proposes, namely, that the Councils of Carthage, Hippo et al. affirmed the canonicity of the Book of Esdras and that Trent contradicted these earlier decisions by rejecting Esdras. I was a little embarassed for James because it appeared that he didn't really look into the question very closely. Trent did not "reject" Esdras, rather the council fathers voted to remain silent on Esdras and a couple of other books. Therefore, there is no contradicton between Trent and previous Councils. It is really as simple as that. I believe James was a little confused as to how Trent affirmed the canon. His questions seem to indicate that he believed that Trent was trying to affirm one version of the OT against another (Vulgate or LXX). The fathers at Trent had nothing like this in mind. What did you think of the debate?